Brown Hand Center Small Incisions, Enormous Bill San Antonio, Texas

I was lured by the advertising and the promise of a quick recovery.    My initial visit lasted 10 minutes.  I talked to the doctor who was ready to operate on both hands for carpal tunnel and also include a surgical procedure for DeQuervain's tenosynovitus.  I was also scheduled quickly for a nerve test to confirm doctor's diagnosis.  My "co-pay" was $20.00 that day.  I assumed they were an in network provider due to the low amount on the copay.

I went home and did additional research and found they had an F rating from the Better Business Bureau.  I called my insurance company and found out that they are not covered by Humana.  I cancelled my nerve test.  Two weeks later, my insurance comany sent me a statement saying that the 10 minute diagnosis cost $350.00.  Of course, because they are out of network, I owe most of it.  Can you imagine the cost of the surgery? My provider said the nerve test would have been entirely up to me.

I went to an in network provider and instead of immediately setting me up for a very costly surgery (especially if done at Brown), I was given a steroid shot that fixed the Dequrvain's and I was given excercises to see if that worked first.  Amazing how I wasn't being shuffled into surgery quickly and blindly.

Long story short, stay away from Brown unless you are willing to bleed money.